I have to say I had no plans to go to this event. My last few experiences with the Professional Beauty events hadn't been that great. It felt like they had lost their spark, so up until around two weeks before the show I was still not going.
Then I got a message from Nikki at Hypo21: did I want to join them on their stand? It took one text message to check my dog sitter could sit, five minutes, and I was very fickle and said yes.
I'm so glad I did.
A weekend at ExCeL
Professional Beauty London ran over two days at ExCeL London, this time alongside Salon International, so hair and beauty were under one roof. I went down early on the Saturday and had the best day in London, and even grabbed a coffee in Harrods.
The event itself looked beautiful. The stands were so high quality this year and it was the perfect blend of big brands and small independents. The energy was great and it was busy from opening until they literally had to kick people out.
Although I wasn't able to attend any talks, the line up looked great.
Two days with Hypo21
For anyone who doesn't know them, Hypo21 is a UK skincare brand founded by Nikki Madani. Their Purifying Skin Spray is a pure hypochlorous acid formula, the same substance our own white blood cells produce, registered with the MHRA as a medical device. It's used in clinics and salons for skin prep and on reactive, compromised skin at home, and the range now includes an oral rinse and baby care. It's a product I'm happy to stand behind, which is why I didn't need much persuading.
And of course I got to spend two days with the lovely Hypo21 team, which is always so much fun.
I'm looking forward to being back there next year.
